Love is the Foundation
Advocating for rights, acceptance, and tolerance through education and support resources for the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
"Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued. LGBTQIA2S+ people are far more likely to experience discrimination, harassment, and violence than to cause it. Creating inclusive spaces isn't about granting special rights: it's about ensuring everyone can live with dignity and security."
What Does LGBTQIA2S+ Mean?
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L – Lesbian
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G – Gay
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B – Bisexual
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T – Transgender
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Q – Queer or Questioning
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I – Intersex
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A – Asexual, Aromantic, or Agender
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2S – Two-Spirit (an Indigenous North American identity encompassing gender, spirituality, and community roles)
Did you know?
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation refers to a person's enduring emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to others.
Examples include:
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Heterosexual
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Gay
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Lesbian
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Pansexual
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Asexual
What Science Says:
Major medical and psychological organizations agree that homosexuality is a normal variation of human sexuality and is not a disease, disorder, or mental illness. Homosexuality was removed from the American Psychiatric Association's list of mental disorders in 1973, and the World Health Organization removed it from its classification of diseases in 1990.
Research suggests sexual orientation develops from a complex interaction of biological, genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. There is no credible evidence that sexual orientation can be deliberately chosen or changed through therapy. Attempts to do so have been widely condemned by major health organizations.
Gender Identity
Gender identity is a person's internal sense of being:
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Male
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Female
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Both
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Neither
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Somewhere along a spectrum
Gender identity is distinct from biological sex and sexual orientation.
Scientists do not believe gender identity is determined by a single factor.
Current evidence suggests that gender identity likely develops through a complex interaction of:
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Genetics
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Prenatal hormone exposure
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Brain development
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Environmental influences
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Social experiences
Researchers generally agree that gender identity emerges early in life and is not simply a conscious choice.
When Does Gender Identity Develop?
Studies suggest that most children begin recognizing and expressing gender identity between ages 2 & 4.
By age 4–6, many children have developed a relatively stable understanding of their gender.
This does not mean every child who explores gender expression is transgender. Children's development varies considerably.
Transgender
A transgender person has a gender identity that differs from the sex assigned to them at birth.
Examples:
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A person assigned male at birth who identifies as a woman.
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A person assigned female at birth who identifies as a man.
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A non-binary person who does not identify exclusively as male or female.
Major medical organizations recognize that being transgender is not a mental illness. Some transgender people experience gender dysphoria, which refers to distress caused by a mismatch between one's gender identity and assigned sex. Treatment may include social transition, medical care, counseling, or a combination of approaches depending on the individual.
Intersex
Intersex people are born with physical sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female bodies.
Variations may involve:
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Chromosomes
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Hormones
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Reproductive anatomy
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Genital development
Intersex traits are natural biological variations and occur in a small but significant percentage of the population
Some researchers estimate that up to about 1.7% of people are born with some form of intersex trait, while narrower definitions focusing only on visibly atypical genitalia produce much lower estimates.
Examples of intersex variations include:
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Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS)
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Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)
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Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY)
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Turner Syndrome (XO)
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Ovotesticular DSD (formerly called true hermaphroditism)
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5-Alpha-Reductase Deficiency
These are naturally occurring biological variations.
Common Myths
Homosexuality is a mental illness
Transgender people are a danger in bathrooms.
All transgender athletes have an unfair advantage.
Children become transgender because of social media
Fact: Every major medical and psychological authority rejects this claim. Homosexuality is considered a normal variation of human sexuality.
Fact: Numerous studies and reviews have found no evidence that allowing transgender people to use facilities matching their gender identity increases public safety risks. Laws protecting transgender access have not been shown to increase incidents of assault or voyeurism.
Fact: The issue is complex and depends on factors such as age, sport, level of competition, physiology, and hormone levels. Major sporting organizations have developed different eligibility rules. Scientists continue to study the topic, and there is no single answer that applies to every sport or every athlete.
Fact: Research has not shown that social media causes someone to be transgender. For many young people, online communities simply provide information and support for feelings they already experience.
Support & Resources
American Psychological Association (APA) – Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality
Explains sexual orientation, addresses common misconceptions, and summarizes the scientific understanding of homosexuality. The APA states that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and that major professional organizations abandoned that classification decades ago.
World Health Organization (WHO) – Gender Identity and Health
Provides information on gender, health, and the WHO's classification system. The WHO notes that homosexuality was removed as a mental disorder in 1990 and that ICD-11 updated terminology related to gender identity.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – LGBTQ+ Youth Resources
Offers definitions, terminology, health information, and evidence-based resources for LGBTQ+ youth.
National Library of Medicine (NIH) – Out of DSM: Depathologizing Homosexuality
A scholarly review of how homosexuality was removed from psychiatric diagnostic manuals and how scientific understanding evolved.
Frontiers in Psychology – Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Review of Concepts
Peer-reviewed article explaining sexual orientation, gender identity, and the history of LGBTQ+ terminology.
WHO – Gender Incongruence and Health
Explains changes in the WHO's diagnostic framework regarding transgender people and gender incongruence.
National Library of Medicine – Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Differences of Sex Development
Discusses sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex (differences of sex development) from a medical and research perspective. The paper notes estimates that up to approximately 1.7% of people may have differences of sex development.
